Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Joins News 12 to Update Ulster County Residents on Winter Storm

Earlier this evening, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on News 12 to Update Ulster County residents on the winter storm.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Thema Ponton: Thanks so much for doing this. We appreciate it.

Governor Hochul: Thank you.

Thema Ponton: Let's begin of course, by talking about Ulster County. I see that you tweeted about it just a little while ago, I think, about the residents up there that still remain without power. What do you need them to know about the state's efforts right now to help restore their power?

Governor Hochul: This is a very dangerous situation we're facing. This would be the second night for many individuals who don't have power restored yet. Second night in the cold, last night was around 18 to 20 degrees. Tonight, we're expecting lows around zero or less. So, for people who weathered the storm and stayed home without heat, this is not the night to do that.

So, we're trying to get the message out to people, if you have a family member or friend you can stay with tonight - or there's a hotline, 845-443-8888, and warming centers. If you call that number, you can find out where the warming centers are in Ulster County, there's quite a few, there's plenty of room.

And the State has been working tirelessly since yesterday. In fact, I was in Ulster County yesterday morning as the storm was just getting worse, it was very icy conditions. But what we're experiencing now is almost unprecedented. This is an historic ice storm. There are almost three quarters of an inch of flat ice, which is extraordinary.

We haven't had that much ice in at least 10 years. And what that has done is created this situation where literally the tree limbs are being coated with ice. They can't withstand the weight of it. They're snapping, they're falling. They're falling on vehicles. They're falling in people's yards, but worse, they are taking down power lines.

So, while we've already restored power - at the worst it was 65,000 with power. Now there's still 35,000 because we're still having new power lines come down. We have had crews out there and utility crews, normally there's about a hundred people. We have over 900 people on the ground to restore power.

Utility linemen are ready to go, and they've been working through the night, but they cannot do it in the darkness. And anyone who sees that there's a live wire down, please stay away from it, contact someone, let them know, and we'll be working again, or they'll be working again tomorrow. But we don't have any assurances from the utilities that everything will be restored, even throughout the day tomorrow, because we are still having more lines come down, even as they fix other ones and that's the challenge we're facing.

So probably more like Monday for about 95% of residents. And I have lived through this before. I remember once ice storm in Buffalo, where I'm from, lasted about seven days without power, we did not have a generator. I had little kids, it was cold, and so I know how dangerous the situation could be. So, I'm urging everyone to just heed the warnings tonight. We don't want a situation where someone, you know, experiences hypothermia or worse because they wanted to weather the storm and didn't go to a warming center or to a friend's house.

So that's - we appreciate your help getting that very serious message out. Take care of our neighbors and friends, the State has sent National Guard. We've been embedded with the County crews. We've been providing beds and blankets and shelter for everyone, but we are just in a situation where those in, especially this rural area, if they're out there on their own and think they're okay -

I mean, I can't imagine what would happen if they just - the weather gets really cold and they get sick or worse, and that's what we're concerned about. We want to just look out for each other. It's who we are as New Yorkers and the State of New York is very much embedded in and on top of the situation, but we cannot control mother nature or the scale of the ice storm that we're experiencing right now.

Thema Ponton: To that point, and lastly, Governor, I know you don't have a lot of time. There is an ice storm that has happened, so we want you to get back to work for sure. But to your point about those rural areas, especially in Ulster, Sullivan, Dutchess, Orange County - how do you reach people who are without power? So they're not able to literally see and hear this message on News 12, their phones may have died because they've not been able to recharge them.

And they may not physically be able to get to those warming centers for whatever reason. Is there anything else going on to try to reach people on a more organic level, given that the electronic communication is the only means that we have, whether it is through television, phones, you know, the county websites and things like that if peoples' power is out?

Governor Hochul: That is exactly the situation we're in, where there are people who probably are isolated, not aware of the seriousness, because they're not getting the news. They're not absorbing the news or getting phone messages. So, I know that there's people being deployed to go knock on doors.

We have National Guard members out there. The county has been fantastic. They declared a state of emergency. I've worked closely with County Executive Pat Ryan on this, I was with him again yesterday. So, we are working very hard, but again, this is an area where we will do our best with the emergency teams.

We also need people to check in on their neighbors themselves. If you have power, you have room to spare, please go down and check on your neighbor, especially those who are older or those with little kids. I mean, this is a, it is scary. You just have little kids and, you know, they don't understand why it's so cold and why there's no food because your refrigerator doesn't work anymore, why they can't warm up.

And so, this is where we really rise to the occasion. And as an addition to our, our efforts and the county's efforts, just look in on your neighbors and that's how we'll get through this.

Thema Ponton: And finally, lastly, Governor, you said you were in Ulster County, do you plan on coming back either tomorrow or Monday to assess things and talk about any aid that might need to come from the State to help restore things fully?

Governor Hochul: Yes, we're looking at, we're monitoring the situation right now and, you know, we're considering that. I'm in constant communication as I mentioned - the head of our emergency services lives in Ulster County. She's without power though, so she has been nonstop,literally at the command center, Jackie Bray, new on the job, but very experienced. She's the former chief of staff to the National Weather Service in Washington.

So, so she is very experienced. And so, we've been in constant communication with her as well. Again, asking any of the local governments, the city of Kingston and the other towns, as well as the county government, whatever they need we are there for them. This is when we show the collaboration between the state and local governments at its finest.

Thema Ponton: Okay, and I know I said lastly, if I could just get one last question in, we are still in the midst of this pandemic here. What about any testing sites, vaccine sites, locations that have been opened either today or reset to be open tomorrow or Monday, what's the message for those?

Governor Hochul: Well, we are trying to keep all of them open, but those which do not have power we simply won't. But those that have had power restored, we want to make sure that those continue. Yes, we got through the storm, but we want to make sure that people can still get test kits. And if they feel that they have symptoms, they need to get checked out, so you're right, absolutely right, do not forget the fact that we're not through the - you know we're not through either storm.

We're not through the ice storm and we're not through the COVID storm just yet, but we're getting close. The numbers are definitely improving, but we want to make sure people know that for vaccines and testing kits, unless the power is out, they'll still be open.

Thema Ponton: Alright, Governor Hochul, thank you so much for your time on this short notice, we appreciate it.

Governor Hochul: Alright, thank you, and thanks for your coverage, it's really important to get the message out.